The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-07-02


The "boodlers" are having . hard time
of II throughout the country. Following
quick upon the conviction of those delect.
able statesmen McGarigle and McDonald
in Chicago, comes the conyiction of Jake
Sharp In New York, the jury being out
only 10 minutes, the penalty In his case be-
ing not more than 10 years in the peniten.
tiary and 5000 fine. The jury, In consid-
Grafton of his age and poor health, recon-,
mended mercy Sharps crime was bribery
IA heinous cffense, since II is one that If
successful removes every guard the public
has; and the punishment should be severe.
And now in Chicago the great "Omnibus'
indictment Is on trial wherein the great
mass of county robbers will face justice.
These trials are all very we'll II Is TO be
hoped that every thief will meet his fate;
but would 1t not be still better to, in some
way, stop the leaks at the outset and thus
avoid expensive trials. In our own county,
both the expense of trials and the expense
of ferreting out Irregularities in county
offices would have been obviated had the
committees of the Board in the past done
their full duty to the people who sent them
to Ottawa to look after their business
There has not been fact brought 10 light
that could not have been discovered at least
twice in any year since the irregularities
began had systematic and business like set
Elements been made with county officers in
the past. Twice a year committees have
reported these books as correct" the
Board has approved their findings and the
officials acts, and now comes the statement
that all has been wrong, and that robbery
has been going on for years. Grant that
this be true, whose fault has it been?
Could not the same facts been learned a
year ago, or two years, or three years ago
as we'll as now? Most certainly they could
And what Is more, in the Milligan case,
every item complained of as robbery was
down In black and white, passed through a
committees hands and was audited by the
Board 1t Is true Doc Norton and the FREE
TRADER complained of some of Milligan's
bills, yet they were paid, and no one found
special fault with them! BY their method
of settlement officers have been tempted to
irregularities and TO exhorbitant charges,
and neither the Board or the people have a
right to find fault now that the results OF
shiftessness on the part of the Board ap-
pears to have grown its legitimate fruit,
What great cities, and counties governed
as is this county, need is an infusion of bust
ness methods into municipal affairs-if 1t
can be had the election to the local offices
of business men and not any one who feels
| like running The whole feeling of the
people as 10 local offices should change,
but only hard knocks will change il, prob
ably. 1t is the local Offices supervisor, as
SCISSOR, highway commissioner, &c, that
affects the pocket, affects good morals,
good roads, and stops boodlerism. If the
people will not take the trouble to run good
men for their offices and vote for them,
there ought to be no complaint if their own
servants rob them. Such, for instance, as
the exhibition made by Ottawa in electing
Bartes a justice of the peace ought not to
have taken place. We are not throwing
stones at Bartels-w want him to have a
fair trial on his merits; but being under In.
dlctment he ought not to have run for the
office, and ought not to have been elected
Whether innocent or guilty of the charge
made against him, the step was impolitic on
his part and unwise on the part of those
who elected him. No man ought to be
elected to any office under like conditions
under any possible circumstances. 1t is
bad precedent and lowers the dignity thai
ought to go with every public office, nc
matter how insignificant 1t is step back
ward instead of forward as should be the
case.
The almost certain denomination OF
~ .ornr rlo,ol,,1 In 900 foy tho nraci an